It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

We lived in a world where I could confidently say that my hobby was gaming. It had been quite a while since everyone was astonished that a prosecutor, who happened to be a game maniac, uncovered leads in a match-fixing scandal.

The era of finding fault with someone just because they loved games had long passed.

Yet, if I confessed that I loved retro games, people generally tilted their heads in confusion. Liking classic music or classic novels might indicate being cultured, but liking classic games made you seem like a quirky individual stuck in the past.

Nevertheless, standing firm in the face of such perspectives, I ended up liking retro games even more. These weren’t even games from my generation—the only time I saw a CRT monitor optimized for pixel graphics was in my school’s storage room.

If one were to ask why I liked old games, which didn’t even hold nostalgic value for me, I had plenty to say.

I loved the graphics that left room for imagination.

I was fond of the ethical sensibilities that seemed a bit off from modern standards, the kind you would think could never pass today’s scrutiny.

The somewhat inconvenient or unnecessarily complicated controls also tickled my fancy. Perhaps this was one of the reasons I fell for KoK.

If I had a single complaint, it would be the background music. There were masterpiece games that managed to create attractive and addictive music with 8-bit sounds, but in terms of quantity, there were more games where the developers seemed to say, “Let’s just throw in some sound effects and call it a day.”

It might have been a choice to cram all the game’s data into the ridiculously tiny game cartridges, but to a modern person, who clicks a mouse to download a game worth 100 gigabytes, this was somewhat disappointing. The impact of music on immersion was indescribable.

So, to sum up:

『Explain yourself』

『-Chat that the logger cannot see-』

『Congrats on the win, host!』

『Providing OST separately, you’re at it again, huh?』

『Explain your profession-belittling remarks』

『 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥』

『Ah, Queen Maker 2 is indeed a masterpiece… You know your games』

『Isn’t this that game where you feed potions to grow breasts or something?』

『Explain yourself, explain yourself, explain yourself』

『Congratulations on the win, teacher』

『King God Knight Go for it』

『Show us the Great Sword Knight』

Even those who couldn’t focus on the game while looking at this splendid title screen might change their perspective after listening to the music for a bit.

“Ah. Can you hear me?”

『Yes, we can hear you loud and clear. Are you reading the chat?』

『Yes, yes, yes』

『Your voiceㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ』

『Please sing』

『Host you have an awesome voice』

『ㅖ』

『Your voice is mesmerizing』

『What kind of shitty game is this, teacher? Turn on that awesome game』

『Play duo with Ark, ahhhh』

『Explain yourself, explain yourself』

『What game is this, seriously』

『Frame』

『You need to listen to that crazy woman humming the soundtrack of KoK. It’s totally out of tune.』

『When are you playing KoK??』

『Please open the channel』

『Congratulations on winning the competition!!!』

『Is this the guy they call Lumberjack?』

-ㅇㅇ sponsored 1,000 won!-

【Hey, GetDevoured-nim, are you going to the after-party? Are you planning to sit next to that greasy male broadcaster, Revan, pour him drinks, laugh that special laugh of yours, drink one after another until you get tipsy and lean on his shoulder, close your eyes, and then when he suggests a second round near his house, you think, ‘One more drink won’t hurt’, and follow him? Please, snap out of it and don’t go to the after-party.】

…Perhaps it was the effect of winning the competition. The cozy broadcast had turned into something like a bustling marketplace. It felt faster-paced. Although I didn’t look at the chat frequently, it certainly seemed so.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I had spent time with the chat like this. It felt like I had been neglecting a dear friend.

One should never forget the importance of friends. Maybe I should take a moment to appreciate the chat.

I scrolled up and paused the chat window for a moment. Even in that brief instance, someone was typing away. The sight of the live chat space being created below the slightly raised scroll was quite a spectacle.

Usually, when this many people gathered, other broadcasters applied… slow mode, wasn’t it?

Strangely, I didn’t want to do that. I understood the feelings and desires being expressed in the chat. Sometimes, rapid-fire chatting was the only way to fully convey one’s thoughts.

Of course, the sheer number of such chats made it a bit messy, but I didn’t want to change the essence. Imposing limits based on follow duration… that felt like turning away visitors just because they weren’t regulars.

I didn’t want newcomers to feel like outsiders.

I slowly scrolled down, appreciating the flood of chats. From vulgar insults to demands for explanations, to compliments about my voice. There were people wanting my to play KoK, and some mentioning the Holy Knight… the Lumberjack…

Why was no one talking about the Rogue?

Out of all the topics, the absence of talk about the Rogue felt strange.

Before the competition started, there were even viewers saying they had come just to see the Rogue. Had all the newcomers driven away the natives? I had worked hard to cultivate that audience.

Gradually, chats asking why I wasn’t talking started to appear. These chats seemed to coincide with my increased focus on reading the chat. It was somewhat ironic that people asked if I was reading the chat while I was diligently doing so.

I was more attentive to the chat than ever.

-ㅇㅇ sponsored 1,000 won!-

【Why is anyone expecting to communicate with this woman? It’s just sad LOLOLOL】

As I carefully observed the chat again, I received a familiar one-star review. This one thing seemed unchanging, and it was oddly comforting… though I knew I shouldn’t say that.

In any case, communication. Communication, huh.

I scrolled all the way down to the live chat. The pace was dizzyingly fast.

“So many of you have come. Nice to see you”, I greeted.

My greeting accelerated the chat even more. Thanks to my exceptional peripheral vision, I caught most of the keywords in the rapid broadcast. I wondered if it was a blessing or a waste to use my talent on this.

What kind of broadcast is this, stop the hate… explain yourself…

“I’m a broadcaster who focuses on clean gameplay. Hate? I never express hate towards priests. This is not that kind of broadcast.”

『No one said you hate priests though』

『Healthy?』

『What even is this game?』

『Please play as a Greatsword Knight, 43rd attempt』

『Don’t you fear the 50 million Warrior users!!』

『Did you hate Priests too?』

『As soon as we talk about hate, it turns into Priest hate, look at this lady』

『So, are you coming to the after party or not? Tell us already』

『I don’t hate Priests (only)~』

『Explain your hate for Warriors instead』

『When does KoK start? Is this the second part?』

No matter how much effort was put into engaging with the chat, the atmosphere in the chatroom was as chaotic as ever. It resembled more of a collective monologue. The refusal to communicate seemed even worse on their side.

Just days ago, there had been a semblance of order in the broadcast chat, almost reminiscent of a well-coordinated siege with its own kind of entertainment value.

But now? How was one supposed to respond to a chatroom that firehosed demands?

Hmm… Should I just end the broadcast?

In a couple of days, the excitement from winning the tournament would probably die down. While I was lost in contemplation, an unexpected donation provided an answer.

-ㅇㅇ has donated 1,000 won!-

【I prefer to communicate through music~ Please understand~】

Oh, that’s right.

Music. I almost forgot.

As always… sticking to my usual approach might just be the best response.

“Then, let’s start with the opening song for today’s game.”

* * * *

The sound of an instrument flowed out, unfamiliar to some, yet familiar to others.

It was an ocarina performance that I dared to consider somewhat adept. The absence of sharp squeaks, which would have hinted at intentionality, suggested considerable improvement. A kind person might even offer some polite praise, acknowledging that learning an instrument as a hobby was commendable.

Though, it certainly wasn’t anything to boast about.

『Oh』

『Is this live?』

『Damn it』

『Looks like your skills have improved』

『What kind of broadcast is this, anyway』

『You just had to do this, didn’t you…』

『Please, if the tide rises, row the boat instead of drowning in it』

『Is scaring away new viewers a hobby of yours?』

『Oh, you’re good with instruments too! ㅎㅎ』

『Wow, multi-talented』

『When will this person turn on the cam?』

『Please, stop with the fucking cringe』

-ㅇㅇ has donated 1,000 won!-

【It’s making me nauseous seeing her get praised for playing the ocarina… Please stop…】

For existing viewers, it was a time of trauma and frustration. However, unexpectedly, for newly joined viewers, it was quite an interesting time.

No matter how sensational my skills and playstyle had been, those who came to watch her broadcast did not only come for her abilities on KoK. Her voice, broadcasted on official channels, sounded pleasant, and when they searched her name, many cam streaming videos appeared, leading people to come out of curiosity about the person behind it all.

The woman who swung a greatsword like a butcher, greeting with a gentle voice and playing an instrument, offered a delightful surprise for many.

They could easily think that this broadcaster performing a piece at the beginning of each broadcast was just part of her routine.

And so, after about three minutes…

《Did you enjoy it?》

Following Lee Yena’s first words after completing her performance and seeming to read the chat in silence,

-ㅇㅇ has donated 1,000 won!-

【You’re going to do it again, aren’t you】

《Alright, next I’ll play a battle scene BGM.》

A donation from a long-time viewer who knew her well echoed with a weak voice full of reproach. It was merely coincidental that her calm voice, explaining the next piece like it was a concert, overlapped with it.

.

.

.

《Did you enjoy it? That was version 3 of the ending theme.》

『I feel like I’m going crazy, I feel like I’m going crazy, I feel like I’m going crazy, I feel like I’m going crazy, I feel like I’m going crazy』

『Why do we have to listen to the soundtrack? Why the ocarina? Why is she doing this today? Why isn’t she playing the Greatsword Knight?』

『Is she always like this?』

『She usually screws around for only 10 minutes, but because of the new viewers, we had to endure this crap for 40 minutes』

『Doo-doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo doo』

『She’s improved and it’s even more annoying』

『How much practice did it take to get this good? For fuck’s sake, use that practice time to broadcast more KoK, please』

Around 40 minutes of performance.

Lee Yena successfully reverted the chatroom, which had become an unusual mess, back to its usual chaos. She continued in her relaxed voice, as if nothing had happened.

《So, the game we’ll be playing today. It’s Queen Maker 2. It’s a childcare simulation game where you raise a child chosen by the heavens… They’ve removed the truly difficult parts of childcare like changing overflowing dirty diapers, having food thrown after spending an hour making it, pretending to be a dinosaur 50 times in a row… and it starts cleanly from the age of 10. I think that’s a good design choice.》

Her viewers, well aware that the rhythm in her voice came from the sounds of her drinking water within the breaks of the performances, saw no need to comment anymore.

The troublemakers who had joined, seeing that no matter how much they spammed the chat or sent donations, she wouldn’t respond with anything except playing the ocarina, got bored and left to spam forums and galleries instead.

Meanwhile, those who endured found themselves slowly blending into the atmosphere of the existing viewers.

In this strange peace, CravingWarmAmericano’s first general game broadcast began with viewers left in a state of confusion.

A variety of viewers gathered, but it was a broadcast none of them had wanted.

TL’s Corner:

It suddenly changed into a 3rd person POV at the end…